John holland



JOIIN HOLLAND, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN IRIDIUIVICOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 285,895, dated October2, 1853. Application filed October 3,1882. (No specimens.)

[[0 all whom it nmy concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HOLLAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oincinnati, county of Hamilton, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improve ments in Alloying Iridium, of which thefollowing is a specification.

In the ,ensuing specification is described the alloying of variouswell-known metals with the metal resulting from the process describedand claimed in Patent N 0. 241,216, granted to me May 10, 1881. Thislast-named metal is generally termed by chemists a low phosphuret orphosphide of iridium, though in commerce it is, and probably always willbe, known as iridiumf and I have, therefore, designated it by both namesin this specification.

The object of my invention is to alloy irid ium with the other metalsfor thepurpose of imparting the properties of hardness andnoncorrosiveness of iridium, and to reduce the hardness of iridium oriridium-phosphide, and thus produce alloys that may be used for manypurposes for which iridium or iridiumphosphide is too hard or toobrittle.

I have discovered that alloys of iridium and iron can be made in anydesired proportions, and used for many purposes for which highlyhardenedsteel is now used, and in all of these alloys in which the iridium formsnot less than one-fourth, by weight, of the alloy, it possesses thenoncorrosive properties of the iridium, and is not softened or annealedby heat.

My process of alloying iron and iridium is as follows: I first put theiridium, either pure or as found with its native alloys, in a crucible,and subject it to a high heat in a furnace. I then add to it aboutone-tourth its weight of phos phorus, as described in Patent N 0.241,216, granted to me May 10, 1881.. When the iridium is thoroughlyfused, I add the desired proportion of iron, depending upon the use forwhich the alloy is intended. I prefer to use cast-iron, which, in theshape of filings or turnings, I drop into the molten iridium and stiruntil thoroughly combined, when it may be poured into molds of anydesired shape. In order to make the iron combine more readily with theiridium, I first melt the iron with a small proportion of sulphur, castit in thin sheets, which are then broken into small pieces and droppedinto the fused iridium. This is not, however, essential.

A good alloy for draw-plates, tools for turning and cutting hardsubstancessuch as steel, pearl, ivory, hard rubber, &c.and drills forvarious uses is made by combining the metals in the proportions of fromseventy-five to ninety parts of iridium-to from twenty-five to ten partsof iron. \Vatch-jcwels and fine bearings may be made of this metal also;for these purposes I prefer to use an alloy of seventyfive toeighty-five per cent. of iridium. For journal-bearings, andcutting-edges for surgical and other instruments I use an alloy of equalparts of iridium and iron; but these proportions may be varied, and amuch smaller -proportion of iridium used. Even one-fourth of iridium tothree-fourths of iron make an alloy which is very hard andnon-corrosive. I have alloyed iron and iridium in all proportions ornearly all proportions from one per -eent. up to ninety-nine per cent.of iridium,

and find that my process makes a perfect alloy of iron and iridium inany proportion desired. The proportions given in all the above formulaare by weight, of course. I have also used the same process to alloygold, silver, copper, nickel, and many other metals, with iridium orphosphuret of iridium, with complete sue cess. ver makes it much harder,more elastic, and less effected by acids than the pure silver. I havealso alloyed gold with iridium, and find that one per cent. of iridiumrenders it much harder without affecting the color.

An exccllentalloy for draw-plates is made of ninety-five parts ofiridium. with five parts of platinum. This alloy is harder than theruby, and is very tough, and has a fine, close grain, and five per cent.of platinum or of silver with the iridium and iron improves the qualityof the alloy used for surgical and other cutting instruments.

In all of these alloys the same process is used, only changing the metalor poi-portion of the metal or metals to be added to the irirb ium andphosphorus while they are in the fused state, and after they or eitherof them have combined with the iridium, molding the same in any shapedesired.

One per cent. of iridium added to s'il-i high heat, then adding to itphosphorus, in about the proportion specified, and, when fusion of theiridium takes place, then adding one or more of the other meta-ls, inthe desired proportion.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a metallic alloy or compound ofwhich iridiumphosphide is a component part.

' JOHN HOLLAND.

\Vil' n esses:

ALFRED B. BENEDICT,

G120. J. h'IURRAY.

I have in the foregoing specification ref erred to iridium, incorporatedwith other wellknown metals by my process, as an alloy; and while theresulting article possesses the characteristics of a true alloy, it isdeemed advisable to designate it in the claims as an alloy or compound.

\Vhat I claiin as new. and desire to secure I by Letters Patent, is 7 1.The above-described process of alloying or compounding iridium withother metals, which consists in first raising the iridium to a

